Sixteen words. That’s all it took Monday for the U.S. Supreme Court — led by a conservative majority with three justices appointed by former President Donald Trump — to prevent him from shielding his financial records, including tax returns, from Manhattan prosecutors. In a second blow, the high court also threw out a number of election-related challenges from battleground states, including one from the former president’s lawyer, once again affirming Trump’s electoral loss. The stinging motions led Trump to state he was the victim of “the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our Country.” 

Sources: CNN, Washington Post, Fox News, NYT

What do you think? Did the Supreme Court do the right thing? Vote on Twitter.

2. Virginia to End Death Penalty

Two men on Virginia’s death row are expected to be spared when Gov. Ralph Northam signs a bill abolishing capital punishment and making life without parole the state’s harshest sentence. Virginia lawmakers passed the bill yesterday after key Democrats changed their stance in the wake of last summer’s racial justice protests. U.S. Attorney General nominee Merrick Garland noted at his Senate confirmation hearing yesterday that death sentences are disproportionately applied to Black offenders. He indicated that President Joe Biden will reinstate a policy of not advancing federal executions — something his predecessor reversed, allowing 13 lethal injections.

Sources: Washington Post, Reuters, AP

3. China and India Pull Back From Disputed Border

Tensions are easing — offline, at least. Chinese and Indian forces successfully stood down along the disputed Line of Actual Control near Pangong Lake, after months of posturing following the deaths of at least 24 soldiers along the Himalayan border last June. However, hostilities remained high online, as some Chinese social media commentators argued that China gave up far more ground than India in the Feb. 11 agreement. Still, others believed the concessions were at worst a tie, with commanders from both sides agreeing that de-escalation efforts were running smoothly.

Sources: India Today, Al Jazeera

4. Tesla Rival to Go Public After Record SPAC Deal

They’re going from 0 to 60. On Monday, Tesla rival Lucid Motors announced it will combine forces with special-purpose acquisition company Churchill Capital in an $11.75 billion agreement that’s the biggest SPAC deal yet, with a valuation of $24 billion. Churchill’s share price, surging in recent days, corrected after the announcement. While there’s lots of EV investment action these days, this one’s based near Tesla and run by Peter Rawlinson, the Model S’s chief engineer. Lucid plans to start delivering its new all-electric luxury sedan, the Lucid Air, later this year.

Sources: MarketWatch, Investors Business Daily

5. Also Important …

The type of Boeing 777 engine whose fiery failure prompted a partial grounding of the jets had already been flagged as problematic by U.S. regulators. The Italian ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo was killed along with a driver and an Italian policeman after gunmen attacked a U.N. convoy. And SoftBank has reached a scaled-back investment settlement with WeWork that would pay co-founder Adam Neumann $480 million.

Coronavirus Update: With 500 candles covering the White House South Portico stairs, President Biden held a memorial observance for the 500,000 Americans who have died of COVID-19, saying, “We have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow.”

America has been involved in plenty of wars in recent decades and it’s proud of its military and veterans. But are veterans getting the support they need? This week, Carlos Watson and Katty Kay explore this question and speak to veterans around the country. Listen now on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, the iHeart Radio app or wherever else you get your podcasts.

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The firsts just keep coming. NASA has released brilliantly crisp video beamed back by the Perseverance Rover, showing its Thursday descent and landing on the red planet. For those wondering what it's like to land on Mars, “or how cool it would be to do so — you need look no further,” said Steve Jurczyk, NASA’s acting director. Perseverance also recorded the very first Martian sounds ever heard on Earth, captured by a “commercial off-the-shelf device.” In the clip a light breeze can be heard blowing across the Jezero Crater over the sound of the rover’s machinery.

Sources: The Verge, NASA

2. Facebook Makes Deal, Unblocks Aussie News

The social network has ended its Australian news blackout after reaching an agreement with the government on a proposed law that would force online platforms to pay for news content. Australian officials agreed to its demand for extra negotiations and additional credit for media deals Facebook reaches independently. Now it’ll likely face the same struggle elsewhere: In Europe, Microsoft is teaming up with publishers seeking an Australia-type solution. That puts the software giant squarely among Facebook’s rivals over the issue. As one Microsoft exec put it, tech giants are “eroding the traditional economic base for independent journalism.”

Sources: WSJ (sub), Engadget, Reuters, News.com.au

3. Karachi Cops Don In-Line Skates

Unit Zero-Nine, let’s roll. When it comes to dealing with street crimes in Karachi, Pakistani police have introduced a novel concept: Rollerblades. While pretty much useless on many of the sprawling metropolis’s unevenly paved streets and pathways, unit chief Farrukh Ali said skates provide “an innovative approach to control street crime” on the smooth surfaces of public gathering spots like the city’s beachfront and sports stadiums. With officers able to quickly navigate crowds and narrow passages, it’s hoped the unit, emulating ones in Europe and the U.S., can make a dent in theft and harassment.

Source: Reuters

4. EDM Pioneers Daft Punk Break Up

Staying up all night is one thing. But after 28 years together, the Grammy-winning, robot mask-wearing French duo that pioneered electronic dance music have split. And not surprisingly, the “Get Lucky” performers did it with an eight-minute video from their 2006 film Electroma featuring a robot blowing up. Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter formed Daft Punk in 1993 and quickly rose to dominate French house music. While they didn’t offer hints about what they’ll do next, fans of their thumping rhythms can hold onto hope the pair might decide to link up “One More Time.”

Sources: Rolling Stone, Variety

5. The Gaelic Sports Tradition Upheld by Immigrants

They’ve picked up the ball. Traditional Irish sports like Gaelic football seemed destined for oblivion after the 2008 recession sent players abroad to find employment. But now, OZY reports, an influx of immigrants has revived the game — sort of a cross between volleyball, soccer and rugby — along with hurling, which looks like a soccer/baseball/lacrosse hybrid. Today the sports send recruiters to visit “nontraditional” communities, and though players of color report racism at junior levels, it’s improving along with a growing acceptance that foreign-born players are the future of Ireland’s past.

Sources: OZY

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